PJAMM Cycling

PJAMMer Alex Yale has completed Mt. Washington Auto Road at the annual road race. He is 86 climbs through ofPJAMM’s Top 100 World Climbs in one calendar year!

This week's climb of the week is Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park – a gorgeous climb ending over 12,000' above sea level. While the route from Loveland is the longest paved climb in the continental United States, the most popular route starts in Estes Park at the national park entrance.

The gravel climb of the week is Old Fall River Road, one of Colorado's hardest gravel climbs. This single-lane dirt road was the original pass over Rocky Mountain National Park before Trail Ridge Road was built in 1931 to replace it.

The climb of the week is Mt. Ascutney, the hardest paved road in Vermont, a 3.5 mile road at 12.4% average grade, gaining 2,279'.

The gravel climb of the week is Mt. Mansfield, the hardest bike climb in Vermont of any kind, paved or gravel, at 4.2 miles gaining 2,506’ at 11.4% average grade. The Race to the Top of Vermont (Mt. Mansfield) is August 25, 2024 starting at the base of Stowe Mountain Resort.

Stay tuned tomorrow for a MASSIVE update!

This weeks climbs of the week are on the Haleakala Volcano, Maui, Hawaii:

Paved: Haleakala Highway, one of the most popular and the third
hardest bike climbs per the PJAMM Difficulty Index (PDI) in the
US, peaking at just over 10,000'. Mauna Kea is #1 US and Pikes
Peak #2 Most Difficult US Paved Road Climbs.

Gravel: Haleakala Gravel (Backside of Haleakala Highway) - the second
hardest gravel climb in the US behind Mauna Kea backside.

Hell’s Canyon 🔥

🚵🏼 An evacuation route climbing out of the canyon of the Snake River creates this incredibly difficult ride. 🐍 With its relentlessly steep gradients and epic canyon views, it is one of the most phenomenal gravel climbs one could hope to summit. 😎

Climb Stats:
Hell’s Canyon
State: Oregon, US
US Rank: #26*
State Rank: #7*
PDI: 31.9
Distance: 7.2mi
Peak Elevation: 5,457ft
Elevation gain: 3,697ft
Average Gradient: 9.7%
Climb Gradient: 9.9%

🪨 GRAVEL EXPEDITION: Brad and Maddy are in NEW MEXICO!
Check out their adventure page to keep up with them as they near the end of the gravel expedition!
(Link in Bio)

📲 Find this climb on our website or Download our APP to access hundreds of the hardest cycling climbs in the world!
(Link in Bio)

📉📈PDI: PJAMM Difficulty Index
(Link in Bio)

*subject to change as we discover more amazing climbs across the US!

📸 Pictured: The Snake River and the beginning switchbacks of the Hell’s Canyon climb in Oregon, US.

PJAMM’s Climbs of the Week:

Paved climb – The most popular road bike climb in the US will be raced on Sunday August 17, 2024 – Mt. Washington Auto Road Bicycle Race has been held each year since 1973, except 5 times when cancelled for weather and once due to COVID. Mt. Washington is the steepest 5 mile segment of paved roadway in the US at 12.6% average grade.

Gravel climb – Tesuque Peak – The hardest gravel climb in New Mexico and ranked #11 on the PJAMM Difficulty Index for the US.

🤩 Epic views from the summit of Francis Peak! 🏔️

🚲 The climb Francis Peak - Farmington is currently the hardest gravel climb we’ve found and conquered in Utah! 🔥 It’s #9 on our list of the top 100 hardest gravel climbs in the US with a 37.5 PDI!!! 🤯

🔺 Click the link in our bio to learn more about this climb on our website!

Climb Stats:
Francis Peak - Farmington
State: Utah, US
US Rank: #9*
State Rank: #1*
PDI: 37.5
Distance: 13.2mi
Peak Elevation: 9,298ft
Elevation gain: 4,974ft
Average Gradient: 7.1%
Climb Gradient: 7.2%

🪨 GRAVEL EXPEDITION: Brad and Maddy have landed in NEW MEXICO!
Check out their adventure page to keep up with them as they near the end of the gravel expedition!
(Link in Bio)

📲 Find this climb on our website or Download our APP to access hundreds of the hardest cycling climbs in the world!
(Link in Bio)

📉📈PDI: PJAMM Difficulty Index
(Link in Bio)

*subject to change as we discover more amazing climbs across the US!

📸 Pictured: An aerial view of the summit of the climb Francis Peak - Farmington where you can see the city of Farmington and Farmington Bay in the distance.

We’re nutty for Nut Basin! 🥜

🚵🏼 This Idaho climb is tough and steep but the views at the summit or rather the road’s abrupt end, are beyond worth it!

Climb Stats:
Nut Basin - Watersprouts Road
State: Idaho, US
US Rank: #41*
State Rank: #6*
PDI: 30.5
Distance: 14.9mi
Peak Elevation: 6,097ft
Elevation gain: 4,993ft
Average Gradient: 5.7%
Climb Gradient: 7.4%

🪨 GRAVEL EXPEDITION: Brad and Maddy have landed in NEW MEXICO!
Check out their adventure page to view a live map as they accomplish new climbs and keep up to date with them on the blog!
(Link in Bio)

📲 Find this climb on our website or Download our APP to access hundreds of the hardest cycling climbs in the world!
(Link in Bio)

📉📈PDI: PJAMM Difficulty Index
(Link in Bio)

*subject to change as we discover more amazing climbs across the US!

📸 Pictured: An aerial view of the climb Nut Basin in Idaho, US with the Snake River and peaks in the Hell’s Canyon Wilderness in the background.

👉🏼 Looking for a gnarly gravel climb?! 👀

AF Canyon is one of the most challenging on our list of the top 100 hardest gravel climbs! 🔥 Coming in at #10* with half the climb so rocky you’ll need some fatter tires, this Utah climb should be ridden only by skilled gravel bike cyclists. 🫨

Climb Stats:
AF Canyon
State: Utah, US
US Rank: #10*
State Rank: #2*
PDI: 37.1
Distance: 16.4mi
Peak Elevation: 10,419ft
Elevation gain: 5,331ft
Average Gradient: 6.2%
Climb Gradient: 6.2%

🪨 GRAVEL EXPEDITION: Brad and Maddy are now taking on Colorado! Check out their adventure page to view a live map as they accomplish new climbs and keep up to date with them on the blog!
(Link in Bio)

📲 Find this climb on our website or Download our APP to access hundreds of the hardest cycling climbs in the world!
(Link in Bio)

📉📈PDI: PJAMM Difficulty Index
(Link in Bio)

*subject to change as we discover more amazing climbs across the US!

📸 Pictured: An aerial view of the summit of the climb AF Canyon in Utah, US with beautiful rolling hills and mountain peaks in the background.

PJAMM’s Climbs of the Week are:
Paved - Tre Cime (photo 1/2) – One of the many epic road bike climbs in the Dolomites.
Gravel – Almagre, Colorado (photo 2/2) – The hardest gravel climb in Colorado and 8th hardest in the US.

Main Elk Creek Road! 🫎

🚲 This Colorado climb takes you up the mountain through sweeping switchbacks where the summit sits at 9,488ft. 💯

Climb Stats:
Main Elk Creek Road
State: Colorado, US
US Rank: #49*
State Rank: #3*
PDI: 29.3
Distance: 7.2mi
Peak Elevation: 9,488ft
Elevation gain: 3,279ft
Average Gradient: 8.7%
Climb Gradient: 9.2%

🪨 GRAVEL EXPEDITION: Brad and Maddy are now taking on Colorado! Check out their adventure page to view a live map as they accomplish new climbs and keep up to date with them on the blog!
(Link in Bio)

📲 Find this climb on our website or Download our APP to access hundreds of the hardest cycling climbs in the world!
(Link in Bio)

📉📈PDI: PJAMM Difficulty Index
(Link in Bio)

*subject to change as we discover more amazing climbs across the US!

📸 Pictured: An aerial view of the switchbacks of the climb Main Elk Creek Road in Colorado, US. (You can see PJAMMs Brad Butterfield raising an arm in triumph on the closest horseshoe bend 😉)

🫨 Our first Gravel climb in Colorado! ✅

🚵🏼 Dozens of sweeping switchbacks take you up the face of the rocky mountain until you reach the top of the World’s Largest Tabletop Mountain, the Grand Mesa! 🤯

We can’t wait to share more on this magnificent climb with you. 🤓

Climb Stats:
Land’s End Road
State: Colorado, US
US Rank: #82*
State Rank: #11*
PDI: 24.5
Distance: 13mi
Peak Elevation: 9,861ft
Elevation gain: 3,836ft
Average Gradient: 5.6%
Climb Gradient: 5.6%

🪨 GRAVEL EXPEDITION: Brad and Maddy are now taking on Colorado! Check out their adventure page to view a live map as they accomplish new climbs and keep up to date with them on the blog!
(Link in Bio)

📲 Find this climb on our website or Download our APP to access hundreds of the hardest cycling climbs in the world!
(Link in Bio)

📉📈PDI: PJAMM Difficulty Index
(Link in Bio)

*subject to change as we discover more amazing climbs across the US!

📸 Pictured: PJAMM’s Brad Butterfield riding a segment of the climb Land’s End in Colorado, US, next to a glorious rock wall. 🗿